Empire my way
by tenneyshoes
Summary: read the title morons
1. trust and other things

**DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN ERAGON!**

**Okay so yeah this picks up right where eldest left off.**

**Tenneyshoes**

Eragon couldn't sleep that night. He stood from his cot and left the tent silently not disturbing his cousin. He walked to a hill on the outskirts of the camp and looked to the sky.

"Brom, Garrow, what am I supposed to do? Arya hates me, Roran is gonna kill me because I can't leave to Helgrind to rescue Katrina immediately, I will eventually have to fight both Galbatorix and Murtagh, I have to finish my training soon incase Oromis and Gladre die soon, and what seems a million other things. I don't know what to do." Said Eragon in defeat.

_How about trusting those close to you, and believing in yourself to do the right thing? That seems like the best thing to me. _ Said Saphira.

_It's not that simple. Everyone is going to hate me because I can't do everything I am supposed to. What will I do then?_

_Then you will trust me to do what you can't. Eragon everyone knows that you can't do everything. And you're not alone. Arya may be mad at you now but she will get over it and if she doesn't it's her loss, Roran is as good as your brother and he will not abandon you, you have both the Varden and the Elves behind you. And you have me._

_Thank you Saphira, I don't know where I would be without you._

_Well for one thing you wouldn't be sitting out in the middle of the night on a hill instead of resting for our trip tomorrow. Now get to bed hatchling._

_Hey! I'm older than you are, I'm not a hatchling._

_You are to me little one and you always will be. Now get to bed._

_Good night Saphira, I love you._

_I love you too little one now GET TO BED!_

And with that the young rider walked back to his tent to sleep never with the knowledge that he had been watched the entire time.

Saphira walked over to the lone elf standing at the bottom of the hill.

_You heard all of that didn't you?_ She asked.

_Yes. Saphira why is he so distressed about me being mad at him? _ Asked Arya.

_My goodness for an elf you can sure be dense at times. He loves you Arya, even if he doesn't really know it yet. He's a human and you know how slow they are._

_I never meant to hurt him. But we can't be together, he is a rider and I am a princess. My mother would never let me marry him. And not because she thinks he doesn't suit me, it's because she thinks I don't suit him. Hit rank is far higher than mine. It would never work._

And with that Arya left the dragon to her thoughts of why elves and humans were so stupid at times. Especially when it concerned love.

**Well there you go hope you like it. I know its short but o well. Process and reply which is just a funky way to say read and review.**

**Teneyshoes**


	2. sunrise and conversations

**DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN ERAGON!!!!**

**Anyway here you guys go.**

**Tenneyshoes**

Eragon woke from his trance half an hour before sunrise. He walked out of his tent and up the same hill he had last night. He remembered when he used to wake up this time on his uncle's farm. He would go out to a tree house Roran and he had built when they were five and six. He would go out there just to watch the sun rise. As Eragon thought of the sunrise he was reminded of when Saphira had hatched. How when he woke up the next morning he saw her perched on his bedpost watching the sun rise. As Eragon reached the crest of the hill to stand next to the tree that stood tall and proud there he looked into the branches to find a good one to sit on when he noticed a solitary figure already in among the leaves.

"Good morning Arya. Why are you always up so early?" asked the young rider.

"I love to watch the sun rise, I used to always when I was little but since I became the elf ambassador I never seem to have the chance anymore." Said Arya not taking her eyes off the horizon. "Why are you up so early? I'll bet it was that cousin of yours and his snoring. That ruckus kept half the camp up last night."

Eragon laughed a whole laugh, one he hadn't seemed to have had since Garrow died and later Brom. "Maybe it kept all of you up but I have lived with Roran since I can remember so I guess I'm immune to his snoring." Said Eragon as he jumped to catch hold of the branch Arya sat on.

Maybe he kept all of you up but I have lived with Roran since I can remember so I guess I'm immune to his snoring." Said Eragon as he jumped to catch hold of the branch Arya sat on.

_You may be immune to it but nobody else is. It's a wonder we didn't hear that mans snoring two nights before we got here._ Said Saphira angrily.

_But Saphira, it only took us a day to get here._ Said Eragon confused.

_Exactly my point._ Said the dragon.

Both Eragon and Arya laughed heartily.

_Where are you Saphira?_ Asked Eragon

_I am still by your tent trying to wake up your cousin, but I think he may have gone deaf if he has been snoring like that all his life._

Eragon laughed so hard he almost fell off the branch he was sitting on next to Arya. After Eragon had finally calmed down him and Arya watched the sun rise before Arya said she had to be somewhere.

As the two separated Eragon was proud that this time he had not severed the friendship between him and the Elvin princess. He walked back into his tent to find his cousin sitting on his cot polishing his war hammer.

"I see why they call you Strong hammer. That thing is as big as my head." Said Eragon looking at the weapon that could cave in a Dragon skull just by letting it drop let alone putting force into a swing.

"And don't you forget it." There was a comfortable silence after that until Roran broke it.

"Why did you promise me?" after receiving nothing but a puzzling look from his cousin Roran specified. "Why did you promise to help me rescue Katrina-"

"Because your as good as my brother and Katrina-"

"You didn't let me finish. I know that to you Katrina is as good as family. What I mean is why did you promise me when you still had to return to the elves?"

Eragon sat in shock looking at his cousin. How had he figured out?

"That elf girl found me packing and asked me why I was leaving so soon. I told her you were going with me to rescue Katrina and she told me that was impossible. When I asked why she said because you still have training to attend to and there was no time to waste. Why did you promise to help me rescue Katrina?" finished Roran.

After a pause Eragon said, "There is so many things I have to do. For so many people. I have to repair Isiadar Mithrim for the dwarves, Heal Elva, return to Ellesmera to complete my training, kill Galbatorix, and rescue the last dragon egg. I just wanted to do one thing for someone I had caused so much pain to. And that was you. I wanted to fix the mistake of not telling you and Garrow about Saphira, for letting Garrow be murdered."

"Eragon, it was not your fault Garrow died. And it never will be. Garrow's death meant the return of the good dragon riders just as Brom had always said would happen. Katrina can wait. You have to finish training if you expect to do any of the things you just said and that includes taking me to rescue Katrina."

Eragon stared at his cousin dumbfounded. Roran would never say Katrina could wait.

Seeing the expression on his cousin's face Roran explained, "they will keep Katrina alive because she is bait. They know Katrina's connection to me and through me to you. They know I will come to you wanting you to take me to rescue her and they will just be waiting for you. They will keep her alive until you come. So now that we have that settled care to show me what those little tree people have taught you?"

And with that the two cousins headed out of the tent to the sparring fields.

**Well here you go hope you like it. Process and reply and if you do go make yourself a big cookie and gorge on it.**

**Tenneyshoes**


	3. Roran is confused

**DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN ERAGON OR ANYTHING ELSE EXCEPT WHAT I OWN AND ANYTHING HAVING TO DO WITH ERAGON IS NOT INCLUDED IN THAT LIST.**

**So apparently you guys want longer chapters. I'll try, but I can't promise anything. And to Brix I was wondering, have you read my other stories, or is the cookie thing yours? Just curious so here you go fellows.**

**Tenneyshoes**

Once Eragon and Roran reached the sparing fields they say a mass of people off to the left. They looked at each other before deciding to head over. Once they finally made it to the center, Roran stared on in disbelief as Eragon inwardly laughed at the poor sap that was trying to beat Arya in a battle. Apparently he had either never heard of Arya or didn't believe all the stories the men told about an Elvin warrior who could best anyone in a matter of seconds.

The battle had apparently just started because the man was crouched across from Arya who just stood tall and unmoving as the buffoon slowly circled her. Once he had gotten around behind Arya he charged only to be stopped by a sword swiping his legs form under him. However before the Elf princess could rest her sword on his neck he rolled away, stood and prepared to attack again when he heard a war cry from behind him.

Since all of this had happened in a few short seconds, Roran thought the man was attacking just a normal woman a man had thrown a sword to, for Arya was dressed not in her normal leather outfit with her hair bound behind a leather strip, but in an emerald dress with her black hair in curls falling loosely around her face. Since Roran had not acquired the quick reflexes that Eragon had he did not recognize Arya or see that she was handling herself just fine. He charged into the circle right at the man his hammer raised only to hear a yell in a language he did not understand, have his body freeze, and because of motion fall flat on his face.

Eragon flinched as he saw that his spell had not stopped his cousin from falling. He walked up to Roran and muttered the counter spell and proceeded to help his cousin stand. He lifted Roran by the arm and as he rose saw the murderous look on Arya's face. Eragon started laughing so hard he dropped his cousin who was still disoriented from having his body frozen and then unfrozen; fell into a heap on the ground. While Eragon recovered form his laughing fit Horst walked up to help Roran.

As soon as Roran was up he started yelling at the man Arya had been fighting which made for quite an amusing sight since he still had dirt and grass all over his face and in his hair.

As Arya watched Roran bellowing at the man that he was as low as he could get for attacking a helpless woman, her face melted from the murderous look to a grin to a full blown smile as she, Eragon, and Orik, who was also present started laughing some falling over in the process, at the fact that not only did Roran have dirt and grass all over him but he had called Arya a helpless woman.

Roran interrupted himself as soon as he heard the three friends laughing. He looked from Eragon, to the dwarf whose name he still had yet to learn to the woman, who was very uncharacteristically doubled over holding her sides trying to stop herself from laughing.

Roran stormed over to Arya and glared down at her. When she finally stood she was surprised to find Roran was slightly taller than her since he was a very tall man to start out with. When she had talked to the man before she had neither let him see her face nor seen his. So it did not surprise her when he was glaring daggers at her. As she let her expression melt to one that reviled nothing Roran took a deep breath to start another rant.

"Are you insane?!" bellowed the farmer. "He could have killed you! Why didn't you call for aid? You probably barely even know how to hold a sword let alone fight with it." As Roran was just getting warmed up a slender hand was put in front of his face. He stared at it puzzled.

"I can take care of myself just fine" said the woman coldly.

"Sorry to disappoint you Roran, but trust me she defiantly knows how to wield a sword." Said Eragon in the back round whipping tears from his eyes. "She can beat me ten times over and not even be tired."

"Alright let's see it then" said Roran wondering what his cousin was talking about.

Eragon's expression changed from one of mirth to horror. "I'm not going to fight her unless I have to."

"In that case I challenge you Shadeslayer." Said the woman who Roran was still wondering how Eragon knew her.

"Fine if I have to." Said Eragon unsheathing a sword he had taken from weapon rack upon entering the sparring grounds.

Roran watched as the two people put two fingers on each side of the blade said some more words in the funny language and a spark jumped between their respective fingers. He watched as the two ran the spark up and down the blade twice each. He moved out of the ring to watch his cousin show the woman she was not all she thought she was.

He watched as Eragon and the woman stood both perfectly still and stared at each other for ten minutes before Eragon charged. The woman sidestepped, swinging her blade to try to hit Eragon's back.

The farm boy spun around and blocked the woman's sword with only a second's spare time. Eragon pushed against her blade throwing her back onto her back. He advanced quickly to raise his blade tip to her neck but as he came into range of her legs, the woman rolled into his feet knocking Eragon down. She yelled the same thing Eragon had yelled at Roran earlier, and Roran watched in awe as his cousin froze one foot in the air.

He watched as the woman stood, said something in the language, making the dirt and grass blow away from her clothes, and as she walked forward placing the tip of her sword on the hollow of Eragon's throat and said "Dead".

She muttered something more in the awkward language and Eragon fell onto the ground. From his position without lifting his face he pointed his sword at his cousin and said "Told you she could beat me."

Orik stepped forward and shook the woman's hand and said "good show Arya, good show. I haven't seen a spar like that since we first made it to Ellesmera."

Roran's jaw dropped in shock, this woman was Arya? The great warrior so many had talked about on the sparring fields? How was that possible when she looked so frail and fragile? All around him people were clapping and cheering.

Roran watched as Arya stooped and grabbed Eragon's shoulder firmly and pulled him into a standing position.

Eragon, Arya, and Orik walked over to Roran, Eragon glaring at his cousin the whole time. Once the trio finally reached him, Eragon stared his cousin in the eye and said "I blame you," pointing an accusing finger at him, just like hey used to when he was little and he had lost at a game Roran had told him to play with Garrow.

"Oh Eragon stop being such a baby. I was going to ask you to spar anyway." Said Arya looking at her fingernails.

Roran watched as his cousin blushed and looked away. There had obviously been something between the two. He would ask Eragon about it later.

Just then, a page came up and handed a letter to Orik saying he was wanted at a dwarf counsel to discuss who the new dwarf king would be. Orik nodded solemnly said his goodbyes and walked off. Arya stared at the page awkwardly since he was just staring at her dreamily and asked "do you need anything else?"

The boy snapped out of his trance watching the elf and said, "Oh yes Lady Nusauda (is that how you spell that? I'm too lazy to go get my book right now.) wishes to speak with you, the dragon rider, his dragon and his cousin." And with that the boy turned and ran out of the sparring fields.

"Well, I guess we had better go find Nusauda." And with that the Eragon relayed the message to Saphira and the three headed out of the sparring fields to Nusauda's tent.

Once the three people and one dragon reached the Varden leader's tent they walked in to find the dark skinned woman bending over a table with a map stretching across the length and width of the table. She looked up when she heard the rustle of the tent flap. Upon seeing who it was she smiled and straitened up and walked around the table to hug Eragon and shake Roran's hand. Then what surprised the three other occupants of the tent Nusauda walked over to Arya and hugged her. That however was not what shocked Eragon and Saphira the most, what did was Arya hugged Nusauda back, like sisters that had not seen each other in years.

Nusauda moved back to her chair sitting behind her desk, entwined her fingers and rested her elbows on the table letting her head sit on her dark skinned hands.

"Eragon it has been arranged for you to travel back to Ellesmera with Arya and Saphira. We have just received word that you don't need to have too much haste. According to Islandzadi your teacher is doing better than he was." At this Eragon, Saphira, and Arya perked up. "However Islandzadi still wishes for you to come quickly. She has also heard about your cousin and has invited him to travel with you. She doesn't think it wise to separate the two of you at the moment. So you will set out tomorrow at noon. You are dismissed."

With that the three people walked out of the tent. Roran looked on as the elf and rider started conversing in the language he didn't know. He smiled as he saw Eragon while most likely masking it from the elf, could not mask it form his cousin that he defiantly had feelings for the elf woman.

He cleared his throat, startling the two people talking excitedly.

"Oh sorry Roran. We where just talking about my teacher. When I left he wasn't in the best of health but according to what Nusauda just told us he is doing better. But we should go rest for the trip tomorrow."

"Good night Roran, Eragon." Said Arya as she started to walk away. Roran noticed that she seemed to linger on Eragon a split second to long, and it confirmed what Roran thought about Arya's feelings toward his cousin. She liked him back. But why were they acting so formal if they obviously liked each other. Roran pondered this thought as he climbed into his cot for bed that night. Saphira's silhouette against the fabric of the tent as the sun set in the west.

**Well how was that? If you ask me it was pretty long. Process and Reply please and thanks.**

**Tell me what your favorite part was. Mine was the sparring match between Eragon and Arya. Well bye **

**Tenneyshoes**


	4. Horthgar's funeral

**DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN ERAGON! THE BOOK OR THE MOVIE, I OWN A COPY OF THE BOOK THOUGH )**

**So sorry I haven't updated forever. And this will probably be quick cuz there is roast cooking upstairs and I want to eat it. So here you guys go**

**Tenneyshoes**

Eragon and Roran were wakened by a roar louder that Roran's snoring, which was saying something.

_Will you two get your butts out of bed? Arya is waiting for you to get ready so we can leave. She is anxious to see Oromis and Gladre again. So get your butts up, pack, and get out here. I don't want to be the one to deal with a mad elf._ Said Saphira angrily.

_We're coming, just calm down._ Said Eragon before relaying the message to Roran.

After the two had finally come out of the tent, they went to meet Arya before realizing they didn't know where she was. The two cousins looked at each other before jumping at the sound of a voice behind them.

"Glad to see you two finally got out of bed." Arya was standing behind the two, her arms folded across her chest. "Took you long enough. Come on we have to tell Nasuada before we leave. Then we have a day's flight. Probably a little more since we have three people now. And my mother is anxious to see you Eragon. She wants to talk to you about some things she knows you found out during the battle."

Eragon knew she was talking about Murtagh and Morzan. He realized he hadn't told Roran about his lineage and Arya didn't want to give anything away without knowing if he wanted him to know.

As the four walked up to the Varden leader's tent (counting Saphira) they were stopped by a guard.

Arya who was back in her leather outfit and looked the same as yesterday except for her hair stepped forward. "Move."

She said the word in a quiet voice, but with an heir that was meant to be followed. And the guard moved. Eragon realized that no one here, not even Nasuada, knew that Arya was a princess.

_Well did you really expect her to go blabbing about it? Think about how you treated her even just a little different once you found out. She didn't want everyone to do that._ Saphira had caught Eragon's thoughts, and decided to tell the little loveable idiot why Arya never told anyone.

As the three people entered the tent, Nasuada stood up. "Are you leaving already?" she asked, confused.

"Yes, I need to return as soon as possible to finish my training so Saphira and I can end the war."

"Uh oh… Orik and the other dwarves will not be happy. What about Horthgar's funeral?" asked Nasuada.

"Oh crap." Said Eragon, his eyes growing wide.

_Tell Nasuada I have an idea. I just need to know where the dwarves want to lay Horthgar to rest._ Said Saphira.

"Lady Nasuada, Saphira says she has an idea, but she needs to know where the dwarves want to lay Horthgar."

"It's a long way from his home, but it was always his dream to be layed to rest where he died, if it was on a battle field that is." Said Orik solemnly walking into the tent. "Otherwise he wanted to be buried with the rest of his ancestors. So the dwarves have decided to make a tomb on the Burning Plains, for all to come and see, to pay their respects. He was a great king, and we have decided he should be able to be honored by all races. Not just those allowed to enter our tombs."

_Then we will leave as soon as Eragon and I have done what we need to._ Saphira had projected her thoughts to all the occupants of the tent, before turning to head out to where she knew the dead Dwarf Lord was.

Upon reaching it, Saphira let out a mighty roar, a symbol of sadness and morning, while also a warning to all who came to this spot with an intent to damage it. And also a hidden meaning, for the ones who had killed the King and to Murtagh and Thorn, that Saphira would not let them go unpunished for what they had done, the oath they had sworn.

The army of dwarves parted to let through the Rider, Dragon, elf and humans. As they neared Horthgar's body, Saphira told Eragon her plan, and he smiled. A fitting memorial for the King.

Eragon put his hand on Saphira's shoulder and together they let their magic and power meld. Eragon held out his right hand, the Gedgway ingasia (is that how you spell that? Once again to lazy to go get my book) showing. Saphira put her head on the Dwarf King's chest. Removing her head, an obsidian table rose, Horthgar on top. Diamond rose around the king, not unlike Brom's tomb. After the King had been encased in the gem, everyone watched in awe as a pillar of obsidian rose into an obelisk.

The stone's smooth surface began to change, words forming. In three languages, dwarfish, the Ancient Language, and the Common Tongue all read the same thing"

_Here lies the great king Horthgar,_

_A strong king,_

_A father to many,_

_And a friend to all races._

_May he lay here to remind all,_

_That even in a hopeless battle,_

_When we will obviously loose,_

_We will fight anyways,_

_Even if just to show defiance,_

_And that there are still those,_

_Who will follow in his footsteps,_

_To kill Galbatorix,_

_And never let fear stop them, _

_From doing what is right._

Eragon let his hand fall, drained of power. Yet proud. He had fulfilled one promise. He had given Horthgar a proper burial, now he had but on thing to fulfill for the dead king. And once his training was done, he and Saphira would return to Tronjiem and repair Isiadar Mithrim.

**Okay I liked that. I know I kinda took Paolini's idea from Brom's tomb but it's hard when you're a kid. I thought it was pretty cool. Anyways Process and Reply. If you do go make yourself a giant cookie, and do something.**

**Tenneyshoes**


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